Washboard



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet. H./ J. GILBERT.

WASHBOARD.

No. 557,199. i Patented M ar.31,1996.

ANDREW HERANM. PHOTO-DTNQWASNINGTBNJRC UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY .I. GILBERT, OF SAGINAV, MICHIGAN.

wAsi-IBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,199, dated March 31, 1896.

Application filed April 5, 1894:. Serial No. 506,457. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in NVashboards, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention consists in novel means for supporting the zinc washing-surface and in the novel construction of such surface, as will be hereinafter explained, and particularlyT pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of my improved board; Fig. 2, a rear elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a vertical cross-section of the same; Fig. 4, aperspective view of the longitudinal bars and curved supporting-bars for the zinc washing-surface; Fig. 5, an enlarged detail of a piece of the zinc washing-surface, and Fig. 6 a sectional detail of the same.

The same letters of reference indicate identical parts in all the gures.

The frame of the board consists of the side bars or legs A A, the cross-bars B B, the top rail C and the soap-board D. The zinc washing-surface E, corrugated as hereinafter described, is of slightly convex form, being swelled outward at its middle, and it is firmly supported in this convex form by two or more outwardly-bowed rods F F supported at their upper and lower ends in the cross-bars B B. The shape of the cross-bars B B and the curved rods F F and the manner of their connection are shown in Fig. 4, where it will be seen that the rear half of each cross-bar is wider than the front half, forming a projecting shoulder or ledge G. The supporting-rods F are preferablyround, having theirforward sides cut away or flattened to present fiat surfaces to the zinc E. They are steamed and bent to the desired shape and maintained therein until dry, so that they will retain such shape. They are fitted at their upper and lower ends in mortises in the portions G G of the cross-bars B B, with their flat outer surfaces approximately flush with the surfaces of the portions G G. The cross-bars B Bare provided With retaining-slits II for the zincE flush with the surfaces G, so that the upper and lower edges of the zincE may be readily inserted and confined in said slits While the body of the Zinc rests upon the flat surfaces of the supporting-rods F F and portions G G y of the cross-bars. The side edges of the zinc E are confined in straight grooves I in the side bars A A, which grooves are approximately in line with the slits Il Hin the crossbars, so that at its center the zinc slopes from its middle vertical line toward each side of the board as Well as conforming to the curve of the supporting-bars F F.

I am aware that convex washing-surfaces have heretofore been employed and th at they have been supported in convex form by vertical rods secured at their upper and lower ends in the cross-bars of the board; but in such instances with which I am familiar straight rods having theouter sides of their opposite ends beveled off to accommodate the curve of the zinc were employed, the crossbars were of a different construction from mine, and the ends of .the supporting-rods were secured in them in a different manner.

In my improved board the bowed shape of the supporting-rods firmly holds the zinc in its outer convex position against any pressure that may be applied to it, and does so with increasing strength and resistance as the rods become wet and swell and tend to bow further outward. At the same time the bowed rods support the Zinc inal regular curve from top to bottoni.

The zinc washing-surface E is corrugated, as shown, forming the alternate ridges and depressions or grooves' running from side to side of the board. The depressions are provided with a series of perforations to permit escape of the water through the zinc, while the ridges are spirally grooved, as shown, the grooves in the adjacent ridges running in opposite directions. The provision of these spiral grooves increases the washing action of the Zinc, since as the fabric passes over one ridge the grooves in the latter will tend to force it in one direction, and as it clears said ridge and strikes the next one the grooves in the latter will tend to force it in the opposite direction, and thus the successive groovedV IOO I'Iaving thus fully described my invention, I claim- In a Washboard, the combination ofthe side bars A A, the cross-bars B B secured therein and provided with the projecting shoulder portions G and zinc-retaining slits Il forming continuations of the surfaces of such shoulder portions, the supporting-r0ds F F outwardly bowed or curved throughout their lengths and secured at their upper and lower ends in the portions G G of the cross-bars B B, said rods having their outer surfaces flattened and approximately flush with the surfaces of the portions G G, and the zinc Washing-surfaces E supported upon the said curved rods F F and having their upper and lower edges conined in the slits II II of the cross-bars B, B, substantially as described.

HENRY J. GILBERT. lVitnesses:

GILBERT M. STARK, II. C. CLAIR. 

